Hell
by The Hellsent
Summary: Death is a part of life, as all know, but do their best to forget. Her blade has ended the lives of many and when her life drew to an end, she was given a second chance. Now, she has turned her back on the one whom had given her that chance. Her choice is fleeing is what will bring Hell to the lands she trends. (Warning: Gore and Death are littered throughout this fiction)


Time is nothing important when it is unending. Even if you think it's just time, it can be torture, as well as that. Torture can be unending. Just as time, just as love, just as life; it can all be unending.

The flaws of this great torrent of eternal youth is that once you have drunk that liquid fire, freshly sucked from its teat, you are no longer your own being. You are now their property. To be used in whatever fashion they see fit. If you are to protest and attempt to flee, you are hunted and reeducated.

Where that fails you are then broken and repurposed.

If this be the price of eternal life, would you be willing to pay it? As well as if you refuse after the taking in of their blood, would you bathe in their secretions or would you sooner allow Death to claim you?

* * *

**Hell**

**Chapter: One**

It was a warm day, June the twenty-first if she recalled right. The humidity plaguing those who despised heat all while the very air itself threatened to intoxicate anyone with an empty belly. As she wandered about the dirt roads of this village, she noticed that the people here were speaking of something. They spoke of a man; a boy to be technical. It was of no import to her until she heard of his description:

"…I know, I know!" A woman began. "But his ears are pointed!"

"Pointed ears, blue eyes and a very impressive sword," A man added. "Yet, I do wonder how much it would fetch."

The Vagabond hid her smile when she heard a stiff slap; signifying that the man had just been struck.

"You will not!"

"But what di—"

"The last time you were cuffed for stealing it nearly cost you your arm!" The woman exclaimed. "Be there a mind in your pate?" She now asked.

She paid no further attention to the pair as she continued on. The smell of salted meats and the fragrant scent sauces and spices being cooked was nearly enough to make her empty her purse. However, she had other things on her mind. One was finding this _warrior in green_. She knows not if she had been pursued this far but if that be the case, then she knew well-enough who she would kill.

Afore anything else though, she would buy food. Her stomach could not withstand the aromatic foreplay which was all over this village as well as the port itself which she had traveled from. Hooking left, she made her way into a small construct of wood and thatch. It was darker in here, but that was only due to her barely getting out of the merciless rays of the sun overhead. After a few seconds, things grew a bit clearer as well as brighter.

There had been no door to keep the elements or anything else out; however this was probably done just for the summer months, when the heat was unbearable for some. As she took another step, she noticed the smell: It smelled like heaven. Seasoned fish, salted meat, noodles of some kind, beef, it was the kind of stuff she imagined a glutton's dreams were filled with.

All-in-all, she liked what she smelled. Furthermore had been the interior: chairs of fine wood and tables of the same make. Various people were about sitting and eating while most were in conversation, only a few were silent or sitting alone. Walking forth, the Vagabond chose a table and sat down. She had chosen a table which lined the southern wall and to be more precise, it had been the one in the center of a row of five.

Her blade, set upon her waist, was still snug against her left hip. It had been sheathed. Its design was of Chinese origin and was a custom work for her specifically. Her clothing was nothing more than a silk robe which was cut short and retailored. The same had been the case for her hakama, which leave a decent portion of her outer thighs visible to anyone who looked at her. After that had been her Zōri, which were typical in make but durable enough.

She placed her elbows on the table and then laced her fingers; only to allow her chin to rest upon them.

Her mind was set at ease for the moment; however, she knew all too well that she could not be relaxed. Her pursuers would not rest until they found her and once she had been found, either she will kill them or be dragged back to Persia to face punishment. Else, reeducation; she would prefer death, but she knows that would not be a choice as she is valued.

Silence had been broken as she looked up to the youth whom had been questioning her.

"What would you be having ma'am?" A few seconds of silence passed before she had said anything.

"Rendang."

"Ah, a good choice!" She exclaimed yet, her face showed her curiosity when the elder female extended a slender finger from its earlier lace.

"Plus, whatever you have that is the strongest in terms of alcohol."

"One of our imported grain beverages?" The Vagabond nodded. "Will do." With that, she scurried off. She scurried across the people who were eating, checking on a few other tables and after that, she vanished into the back room.

Having another look around, there was not much else to see aside from old men drinking tea and young women speaking of some fiesta. As she heard it, it involved Lechōn as a centerpiece and after that had been some dance and reading of the winds; after the speaking of food, it was nonsense, in an extended explanation.

Yawning, she idly looked to her left and noticed something wrong; severely wrong. Changing her seat, she now sat facing the entrance of this eatery. Her pale green eyes watching the people for what had caught her senses, for her to be this on edge was something that her server had noticed.

"Is something the matter Miss?" The Vagabond absently shook her head. To regain a bit of her calm, she re-laced her fingers and resumed her earlier and far calmer demeanor.

"All is well…" She lied. "…nothing but a bit of hunger trying to get the best of me." The server was then on her way.

As she walked away, she caught sight of a young woman staring at her. She sat beside another woman; the difference, the woman she sat next to, who had been wearing a red bandana, was human through and through. The one who had been staring at her, clearly, was not.

Her scent was enough to tell her such as well as the fact that her eyes were golden in color. However, she looked more afraid than intimidating. That said, she noticed that she had also stolen a quick glance to her right, the woman looked to her left and saw just what may have made the golden eyed girl paranoid.

"Too many in one place to be coincidence…"

She now saw a young man in the very corner of the same row which she sat. His food had been brought to him, which is awkwardly the same meat which lured her nose here to begin with.

He appeared to be young, but with their kind, it was never easy to know. For all she knew, he could be as old as she was, if not older. This young man wore a sleeveless shirt which covered his neck completely. The vest he wore appeared to be leather while the slops he wore appeared to be Matabiki from this distance. His right forearm as wrapped in bandages which extended down to the knuckles of his fingers and thumb.

All this had been black. Even his hair had been a midnight black. Yet the only thing which truly stood out had been his eyes. Just like the young girl, his eyes were golden in color, just far more pallor in color. That said and noted, he was far stronger than the girl.

For a moment, they each stared at one another: the young girl, obviously thinking she would be attacked while he, wanting to be attacked so that he could escape the boredom of the day. It was obvious that he sought a challenge; she saw it in his eyes.

"…and here we are!" The Vagabond sat upright as her food had been brought to her. "Hopefully you will enjoy this specialty, and as I noticed your appearance," She paused as she set a bottle upon the table and then two cups. "…sake, freshly delivered this morning!"

The server had been thanked and given ten gold pieces which she nearly giggled as she returned her thanks for the generous tip. Turning her eyes back to the young man, she saw him busying himself with his food. She watched as he cut open the remainder of a _Ketupat_ and after a few seconds, he ate it.

Seeing that her stomach was one thing she did not wish to fight, she gave into eating. From her peripheral, she saw the young girl and her human friend take their leave; the human, completely oblivious to what was going on while the young girl was relieved that nothing came of the realization.

This left just him now.

A short while had passed without anything of interest taking place. He continued to eat as did she. Occasional glances were exchanged and even staring, but beyond this was nothing worth noting.

This is when he walked in. The one she had been exchanging eyes with had also noticed him.

It was now a short while after one when he walked in. He was young and not a native to this region; this was easily known from his skin color. He would often be deemed a Spaniard or one of the Portuguese, but he did not sound like them, nor did he walk or don the clothing of the monsters. This young boy seemed to be from another place. At that moment, she recalled the locals speaking of some young man with pointed ears.

Taking note of this, she saw that his ears were in fact, longer than that of a human. He was of short stature, roughly a few inches shorter than she had been. The moment he took a seat, she caught ear of the servers whispering to on another:

"…he's vile, no matter what he was."

"Vile?"

"He seeks the Soul Edge!"

She was not concerned about that accursed blade. People flock to it for power, thinking it to be the ultimate weapon or what can rule lands or save those in need of some false salvation. In truth, it was simply a cursed weapon. Anything more than that, she need not know.

She eyed the pack he had with him. From where she sat, she could hear glass gently tapping against more glass. That said, she assumed it was a container of sorts; yet with the pitch of the sound, she could also tell that there had been liquid within said glass container.

Taking her eyes off him, they shifted to the Filipina which had been accompanying him. She was young, just as he was. No more than sixteen if she were to guess, and she appeared to know those of this village well as she greeted a few of the patrons before taking a seat. Though, this seat was pulled out for her by the one with pointed ears and then gently pushed in towards the table as she sat.

"Such manners," She began. "…a shame they aren't as common, wouldn't you agree?"

She had been speaking to the male in all black which had finished his meal. Despite him sitting far enough away to hear her, she knew that he did. After all, he was not human, nor was she. A small smirk caught her lips when a different server approached their table.

"…can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Now? Uh, well…" The pointed-eared male nodded, signifying that he did not mind. "All right." From there, the Filipina excused herself and followed the server to the back room.

"_She must be from this very village if she is capable of walking about without a care for custom."_

In their absence, she took time to study the young male with pointed ears: the green tunic that covered his upper body revealed the gold tinted chain mail underneath it and just under that was a white long sleeved undershirt. Atop his head had been an odd green cap which drooped in the back to a point.

He had on tan colored leggings and to match the gauntlets he wore, he had brown boots to match. This shade of brown also matched the straps crossing the front of his body as well.

Just when her little observation had ended, the two Filipinas had returned. Clearly words were had, as the youngest, being their server, seemed to be slightly red in her face while the other, the one whom had originally sat down, was slightly annoyed.

Listening to her inhale, she now prepared to take their orders:

"What would the two of you like? We've a plethora of meats, vegetables, and even grain wine if you are interested."

The Vagabond paid no mind to their orders. Instead, she paid attention to the detail on the male's shield. Looking at the crimson symbol, to her, it resembled a phoenix. In addition to that had been a triangle with the center missing.

"_His family crest or the crest of a city…?"_

It was a possibility, but she had not a clue and the only ways to find out were either to befriend him, or beat him into submission before interrogating him. In either case, it honestly did not seem worth her time.

Turning her gaze back to the young man in the corner, she was surprised to see that he had stood. Within the rays of the sun, she had a better visual of him and could discern his features with greater ease opposed to him sitting in the shadows. That mixed in with the light of the sun shining down before him made it too difficult to tell much except his clothing.

Due to the sunlight, she could see that his hair spiked backward while his face bore well-trimmed hair under his chin. His boots were buckled and he wore an armband on his left arm. His bangs hung before his eyes as he looked about, she assumed he had been observing the area once more before he had left.

She initially looked down to her food but was stopped when she noticed his sword. The sword on his back was with a black hilt with the pommel formed out into a spike. Its guards was made to resemble boned spikes, it appeared. Else they be horns.

There were three small bones on the very end of its hilt; in addition, the guards were pointing in opposite directions: one skyward, the other, downward.

Watching him leave, she saw him turn left and before he had been out of her sight, he turned his eyes to her but only for a second. After that, he was gone.

"Here you both are…" The server managed to get out as she set a boiling pot of water to the table. "…Kare-Kare for her, and Kare-Kare for him." She added while setting down a bowl upon the table.

"This looks good…" His voice trailed as he looked to his eating utensils. "Though, is there no knife?" The pointed-eared male asked. The server hesitated as she eyed the male. The Filipina whom had been sitting across from him giggled before she spoke:

"Firstly," She began as she took fork in hand. "…we only use spoons and forks. No knives." Before he could ask why, she explained. "It's seen as a disgrace." She said as she pointed at him. "Now, try it! But, I should warn you, it's spicy." With that said, the young girl began to eat while the male tried it before coughing and downing a full cup of water.

The young girl tried not to laugh as he told her of the Kera-Kera's spice. The Vagabond smiled as she watched. She watched as the young Filipina rubbed his back and tried not to laugh when the fact that his nose was running had been brought up.

"You all right?" The male nodded before taking another drink of water. From here, the Vagabond could see that his ears had turned red due to the coughing and quite possibly, the spices within the food.

"I'm all right. Thanks for asking Talim." She smiled when she heard her name. "…and next time, I'll choose something not with so much spice to it." Her smile widened after he had said that; however, he did say that he would have whatever she was having.

Finishing her meal, she decided it were best for her to leave. Despite wanting to try the _Kera-Kera_, she thought it best not to gorge herself. Seeing herself out after paying, she decided to head the same way that the one in all black trekked. It was easy to track him, that said, why not see what he was after?

* * *

It took some time, but she managed to catch up to the one she sought. Wading through the people whom were busying themselves with preparations, the woman accidentally bumped into a shorter individual. Apologizing, she hesitated as she began to examine the person.

The individual had been shorter than her and wore a black cloak. Oddly enough, this person gave her an ill-feeling. They looked over their shoulder and scoffed at her before continuing on. Instinctively, she checked her purse and was relieved that it had still been in its proper place, however, she did not like the sensation she had received from the stranger.

Pushing the encounter out of her mind, she continued on. Further down the dirt roads and past a few dwellings made of stone, thatch, and wood. She wondered why so many windmills were within this village; however she would have to figure that out some other time. Finally, she now stood before a windmill. Without hesitation, she ascended the stone steps which lay inside. From left to right, the staircase spiraled and without a railing, she did not make any foolish movements—especially at this height she had now reached.

"…stalking only gives one the thought of paranoia, which then births retaliation…" His voice was deeper than she had assumed.

As she reached the top of the windmill, she stepped onto the wooden platform and situated herself against a wooden beam. The male from earlier had been standing near the edge of the platform, possibly overlooking those below or watching to see who had been following him. In either case, she was here, as was he.

"I only wish to know what you're after." She began as she crossed he legs. "After all, it isn't often I come across two Hybrids just relaxing at the local tavern." Her approach was meant to be calm and even lightly comical as she did not know who she was dealing with.

"The same could be said about crossing a devil and angel chatting in a local whorehouse, yet you are the one which ogled me and from there, you were the one who attempted conversation and to finally follow me here." He now turned to face her. "I don't recall asking you to meet me here, so the question would be, what are YOU truly after?" She chuckled as he asked her that.

"I only wanted to know what you were doing here. After all, you don't seem the type to scout ahead or take someone one alone…though, truthfully, seeing two of your kind together and making it appear as if you knew not of each other is gran I must say."

He said nothing to her attempts nor did he acknowledge her accusation.

"Not much up for talking now are you?" She asked as she waived her right hand in his direction.

"You reek of blood and sand."

"Oh? I could have sworn I bathed…must have slipped my mind after killing time and again. Surely you know how it is, especially since it isn't hard for anyone to track you with as much gore you've been steeped in." She smirked as she continued. "All I did was follow your scent and it was far stronger than I expected. Perhaps you're the one who needs to bathe more often." To this, he growled. "Ooh, a bit of a sore spot I take it?" His response was placing his left hand upon his blade's hilt.

"I tire of your jests whore!" She now stood erect and proceeded to walk out towards the middle of the platform. With a hand hovering above her blade, she stood her ground. Surprisingly, he released the blade and turned his back upon her.

"Oh? So much talk and now you choose to back down? I do hope that doesn't hinder intimacy."

"…remind me, why should I give myself to a woman to begin with?" The question caught her off guard which led to an awkward silence. That is until he spoke once more. "Your gender is simply that; the opposing gender. I see nothing for me to fawn over as if my continued existence hinges upon sex and infatuation. If anything, such desires stay most in their goals and even their thoughts."

"Hm." She crossed her arms as he continued to watch the land below. "Truth told, you're the first virgin of your kind that I've met."

"Stalked you mean."

"Sweet bread and churned butter." He scoffed with that being said. "Well, to get to things, I take it you didn't know the other one?" She now inquired.

"I already gave you that answer."

"Really?" So you both just so happened upon the same roof out of sheer coincidence?"

"Are you no different?" She only shrugged at that question. "Yet, as you are asking, what drew you here aside from your impulses?"

"It matters not what flows in my veins, I don't follow their calling." He turned his head after she had said that. Now he was looking over his shoulder at her.

"So you are the one that fled."

"In the flesh and as I do plan to stay. Yet, for you to hear of me is another interesting thing."

"…your kind is at fault." She blinked at that. In addition to this, she slide her neck backwards almost in disbelief. "As you said, I smell of blood and gore. That is your answer." Again, she placed a hand over her blade only for him to turn and face her. "Self-defense in how I survived and for them to continually pursue me is something that is more than a mere thorn in the paw of the lion."

Looking down, he said nothing as the woman sat down a few feet away from him. Her legs were folded and her arms were crossed.

"Now what could you have done to anger the Matriarch, I wonder?" Her sarcasm was easily detectable and for the fact that she asked showed that she had a good-enough idea.

"I refused her."

"Ooh. That isn't the wisest of things to do."

"Yet the same thing you, yourself have done which caused them to fan out and hunt." To this, she said nothing. "It is your fault that they found me in the first place!" She eyed him as he said those words. "I don't blame you for running though."

"…hypocritical and contradictory, what fine company I've managed to stalk." He looked at her via his peripheral. "It's not every day I cross a Hybrid with your stoicism. One of us has to be the light-hearted joke-teller no?"

He said nothing. Instead, he watched the sun. The two stayed like this until it had begun to set. It was at this point that she chose to part ways. She extended an invitation out to him if he wished to join her; however he was slow to respond.

"I'll be heading back towards Luzon if you want to tag along. But you know I won't stay there long, so don't hesitate."

"We will see if I manage to move from here or not."

"As I said, one of us has to be the joke-teller." With a small smile, she turned to leave.

"May your blade stay strong and your fangs be sharp." She stopped as she heard this.

"Are you wishing me well and safe travels?" She teased. He said nothing more which told her that was as much as she was going to get from him.

With the darkness spreading the hot air of the day had chilled considerably. To accompany this chill, torches were lit and set out in order to provide some light to the roads within the village. As she walked, she turned to look back only once; from this distance, she could see a faint golden flicker which she assumed to be his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

She soon found herself near the same place where she had sat and ate.

"Hey, Talim." The woman slowed as she heard this.

"Mia!" The girl who was addressed as Talim screamed in joy.

Stopping by a corner, she leered at the group. They were standing by a stall which, if she recalled right, sold fruit and bread. She had passed this up earlier due to her craving something more filling.

"So what is it that you want today, sis?" Mia asked in a cheery voice.

"Hm…" A few seconds passed before the one known as Talim answered. "… I know, two orders of the sweet bread that you have and a small melon."

"Gotcha!" Mia had given them both a wooden bowl each. She then cut a small melon and placed half in each bowl. "You know, you're lucky." She began as she handed over the two slices of sweet bread. "I just made these a bit ago and was about to eat them myself."

Talim smiled and looked to the male next to her. It was then that the woman realized that these two were the same ones which she had watched earlier. She continued to watch and observed them pair, being Talim and the male with pointed ears head towards the northeast.

"Have fun you two!"

The woman watched as they set off. She naturally was the one to lead while he followed her. They each held a small bowl and they each carried a small piece of bread.

"I'll see you later Mia!" Talim yelled backwards to the fruit stall.

"Just don't forget to come by after you are finished T!"

The woman chose to run a counter method of catching up to them. The reason she wanted to do this was to simply see what the fuss over this pointed ear male was about. She had initially given up on the idea; however, curiosity had truly tore deep into her flesh and now clawed at her mind.

She kept a brisk pace with movement and avoided speaking to anyone. A woman had leered out of her door and saw her walking, however, she merely waived, which she politely returned that same waive before pressing onward. Up ahead had been an intersection. What caught her eye had been some man walking about in gilded armor. She knew it was not one who could have been pursuing her, however, this may be of interest.

As she grew closer to the intersection, she came to a pause when she heard a voice: "Have you pondered over my offer love?" Once again, leering, she saw that the voice had belonged to the man with the gilded armor. From here, she was able to get a better view of the man. Obviously, he had stopped the pair and asked a question of the one named Talim.

He wore green robes and gold pointed boots along with a green cloak. This cloak had a gold trim running about the entirety of the cloak's edges.

The woman watched from the shadows as the armor-clad man gently pushed the pointed-eared male out of the way.

"Kureha …" Talim started as he put a finger to her lips.

"Why not come with me now and be rid of this…" He hesitated as he turned towards the other male. After looking him up and down, he looked back to Talim and added on: "…this jester?" It was no wonder that the male in the green tunic visibly tensed.

"This is my friend…" She started as she looked at him winking with one eye.

"True, but he will remain a friend while I whisk you away a queen, my love." He said this as he took her hand and lowered his head. He proceeded to kiss the back of it.

From the shadows, she rolled her eyes all while wondering if the male with pointed ears had been doing the same.

"Kureha, I am not yours—"

"Not yet darling…" In some odd fashion, his smile reminded her of a dead cat. To this, Talim slowly shook her head.

"…no, not at all…" She added as she pulled her hand away from him. "Go bother someone else, Kureha!" Talim shrieked. He sighed while closing his brown eyes and simultaneously bowing.

"But what am I to do if I cannot contain my love for you?" He tried to take a firm hold of one of her hands again, only for her to tear that same hand away from his grasp.

"If that be the case, then there will be yet another execution ..." The woman narrowed her eyes as this entered her ears. Talim was trying to intimidate him. Watching the pointed-ear male, she could tell that he picked up on this as well.

Sensing absolute defeat, Kureha stepped to the side of her and smiled once more as he bowed. After he had recovered from his bow, he then proceeded to take his leave. The man made an effort to sneer at the Talim's friend. No doubt just to show that he could do it simply because he could. Either that or it could be due to whatever royal line he descended from.

"Come to think on it, he was onboard the ship." This was true, he was onboard the same ship which she had been on. However, she spent most of her time to herself opposed to speaking with anyone.

The two had continued on. Following the girl with a gold necklace that held the sun and the moon, he turned his attention to the sunset that was taking place. As he watched the setting sun, the woman noticed Talim wipe her forehead. She continued to follow them until they arrived at yet another windmill. This one stood taller than most the others.

She watched as they approached the torch which had hung above the door and to its right. She assumed it was done in this fashion to avoid embers from falling on anyone who passed under it.

"Is this where you were leading me?" He asked. His only answer was a smile, which he could barely see due to the torchlight behind her.

"Home is where one can lay their burdens down." She stated.

Talim noticed him staring at her.

"Oh! We haven't formally been introduced." He now furrowed a brow as she said this.

"I'm Talim." She said as she opened up with a wide heartwarming smile.

"_After spending the day together, she now asks his name?"_ She thought. _"Hopefully she is not drunk and led him here for…"_ She stopped in mid thought and shrugged. _"Lucky little knife-ear."_ She thought as she continued to watch.

"My name is Link."

"Will you answer my question?" His soft voice asked. Talim's smile faded, in revelation to the fact that he was not interested in becoming friends.

"I did. Home is where one can lay head as well as burdens. It also is where the heart may be at ease."

"…if that be the case, why did you bring me here?"

Talim looked at the small melon in his bowl. He held it at close to his chest while she had been holding hers around her stomach.

"I…I just wanted to show you what I call my home. To what my grandmother left me before she died." His eyes were agape after that had been said. Blinking in surprise, he stammered for words before apologizing. "Don't worry…" Talim said as she sniffed. "…it's okay."

As they entered the windmill, the woman slowly advanced. Making no sound, and keeping her breathing light. She had an odd feeling about this male. She wondered if he had been a spawn from Soul Edge, however, she could not sense it. Even more damning had been the fact that she was unable to detect corruption of the blade within him whatsoever. He had more a feeling of purity to him than that of darkness and corruption.

Slipping inside the windmill shortly after them, she immediately took note to the darkest areas and instinctively made note to stick to them. They were ascending the staircase. Seeing that torches were lit along the staircase, she came to a pause. This would make it far more difficult to follow them due to the additional illumination.

"Tamil I'm sorry… I didn't mean to disrespect your grandmother in any form or shape." Ducking his head down slightly, looking into her eyes, he said it again. "Can you forgive me?" He now asked.

An awkward silence had passed before anything was said; this made him rethink of what he had just said. All the while, the woman, near the bottom of the staircase, could hear every word which was being said.

"Cam—el…?"

"_Did he just call her a camel?"_ The woman smirked and physically jumped as she stifled her laughter.

"My name is Talim!" She barked at him. After this, she immediately smiled. "Apology accepted."

A smile for a smile, despite how uneasy it made him feel. In the end, she forgave him, which was all he needed to go on and not have to remember her after he left.

Resuming their ascension, the Hylian looked around as they made their way upwards. Watching the mechanical workings of the windmill spin and the like almost sounded soothing.

Link followed her up the last of the stairs and began to feel calm. He did not know why he felt this way but it was relieving. From here, they were not out in the open; he could see other windmills and the roofs of dwellings from here. As he walked closer to the edge of the platform, he was surprised that he was able to see the small black specs that still bustled around just before the day was truly over.

"Thank you." He muttered to her as he now watched the last rays of the sun stretch across the sky. Talim sat with her legs folded and watched him and his curiosity work together to try to comprehend the magnitude of the beauty within the view. Smiling, she couldn't help but enjoy the streaking mixture of violet, orange and the descending blue skies blurring together in order to be as beautiful as they were.

Of course, the magnificent view of the sea, the mountains, and the overlay of the deity was nothing short of a turbulent thrill of purity teeming with life and the beauty of the winds itself. However, she thought it a bit soon to ask this, however, she took a chance on asking now:

"What is it that makes you search for the sword?" At that second his face dropped. The way that the Hylian's face dropped from its pleased and calming features to that of an old and frustrated man that had now found out that his wife had been lying to him from the start, when they first met. Talim has seen that look before and that itself was probably how he felt to a degree.

Hearing him inhale, he then looked in her direction, which was near the left wall in the top tier of her windmill while he stood near the balcony of the structure.

"I have to destroy it." Her face slightly shriveled at his sentence. Link turned around and now he was facing her. He was now looking her dead in the eyes. "That sword has caused damage to my home and I must relinquish the sword of its life."

No matter how young and innocent she seemed, she knew what Soul Edge was. It was a demonic blade that fed off human souls and could manipulate the one who takes hold of the weapon. These of course, were what the stories implied. Multiple other stories oft told it to be a true weapon, a master's weapon; even a blade of salvation in some cases. Yet in additions to that, there had been rumors of a Divine sword, which would glow a bright blue with a blade that is split in two.

This blue sword was said to have been created to combat the sword of darkness. However, here, some addressed them as water and fire. Other merely said good and evil while the village elders deemed them as nothing more than swords with fanatical stories behind them.

Many rumors of mythical weapons had grown during the time of the Spanish occupation. More stories and more rumors seemed to flow to and fro with each coming and going of a Galleon or other ships.

Talim remembers one rumor she heard which she liked. It was speaking of a blade which was known as a Crying Blade. This weapon was supposedly of holy divine and was used to ward off demons and phantoms however; the whereabouts of the weapon have vanished without a trace many years ago in the land to the west.

It was also said that this blade cried, due to the sins of man. Others say it cried due to the death of its master and a derivative of the latter claim was that it cried from the last of the one who had forged the blade.

By legend, it was easy to know due to its unique hilt design; it was the horns of an ox and the bones of a man that would comfort the fingers of the wielder. There had even been an origin of it to be from the very land which she walked. It was said the god of the winds, _Lihangin_, crafted this weapon after the death of his wife, _Lidaget_. As such, the blade cries for the loss of _Lihagin's_ love.

Spitting some of the seeds out of his mouth before he swallowed the edible portion of melon, Talim eyed him in a fashion of respect, but at the same time in the prospect of a friend. Although this thought and feeling had been quickly deterred, she still liked him as a person.

Chewing on the butter and sugar based bread, Link looked to her as he stood.

"I must go." As he scratched the back of his head, thinking of something to say to the wide-eyed, puppy-dog face pouring with butter and sugar his mind could not produce much of anything, except for kneeling down once more.

"You have only just gotten here, so why leave now?" Talim asked.

"I may not want to, but I must do so. No matter how brief this was, I'll not forget the setting sun, nor the sweet bread, and most of all; I won't forget you or what you have shown me atop this windmill. It's nothing short of a paradise, and the time being little has still been precious."

She looked away from him for a second and began to say something, but ubruptly stopped.

"Through sorrow lies beauty." The Filipina looked at him after that was said. "The sorrow of leaving here, I'll remember this for the beauty it holds."

"_Poetic as and a tad bit of romance with a hint of comedy; all we're missing from this picture is tragedy."_

Cupping her chin with his sword hand, being his left, he set the last of his melon into her bowl and walked past her and then past the back room filled with books and a single bed and over to the spiral staircase. With Talim watching his movements, Link waived to what he believed to be the last time he will see her until he returned.

As she helplessly thought about Link, she too decided to climb the steps down the windmill and proceed home, where her mother Lidi and father, Sanput—who would soon be the leader of the village—resided.

The woman watched as the male left. As he proceeded north, he paused. He dared not move as he slowly turned and looked in her direction. She had stepped out of the windmill and hid amongst the shadows of a dwelling. Watching him turn and continue on, she noted that he had tensed.

"_You've better senses than I thought."_

Listening to a door shut, the woman eyed the windmill which she had just left and saw the girl, known as Talim close it. After that, she placed two husk-like bars within the door; locking it from the outside.

"_Not much on secure and safety now is it?"_

With Talim and Link heading in opposite directions, the woman proceeded to follow the one named Link.

As the night, sky had settled and Link long gone, anarchy and her brother, chaos, have both broken the bonds of the wind and will now corrupt the life that will surely be killed upon this land. As she had been taken from the streets, she had been carried off into the night away from Mia.

It was out of sheer pain that made her lose her state of awareness and darkness overtaking her mind. Being young and having not much physical strength, she could do nothing more than be abducted into the prison that awaited her.

To think, only a man and three women destroyed an entire village. Awkward enough she was being taken to the exact place that she loved to go whenever she had a chance to. Home, is what she would consider it at times. Home is what she loved to go to. Home was the place where she could see the ocean that lie just outside her village, home of course was the windmill, left to her by her late grandmother Kalana for her fifteenth birthday.

Earlier her father had roused her from her slumber when the attack hit. She was carried outside in the midst of chaos when she actually saw why he was rushing her to dress. However, her father had not the chance to protect her that long as a woman, one she heard to be called Minerva, and another woman in purple ambushed him.

The woman, Minerva held a sword made from the bones of a powerful ox. It had a handle of a light purple while the bottom had the bones sticking out of it, the bones seemed that of the ribs of a baby oxen while the head of the beast was nothing more than an adult of the ox.

"_Was this the blade she had heard of?"_ Talim thought to herself in horror. A question gone unanswered, Sanput was cut down with ease, due to the combined effort of the two. Without much a second thought, Talim ran. She continued running until she reached one of several intersecting roads to where each end she had turned had been the same:

Fire, screams, and death; that is all that had been around her and all she heard. The sky was a deep red due to the flames and billowing smoke. The ground had been a deep reddish brown due to the bodies of the newly deceased.

Another shrill scream had come from behind her. She was running out of time. Talim immediately heading to the one place which she knew she could possibly be safe. As she ran, she was knocked off balance by something being thrown at her. By the sheer force, she was thrown to the ground.

Her ribs burned from the pain and the weight itself was crushing enough. Looking at what had caused her to topple over, she recognized the gilded greaves and the torn, and bloody green silks. This was Kureha.

The man groaned in pain as he pushed himself off her. With a blade in hand, he pointed to his attacker. Talim clearly looked down the road and saw a woman clad in little armor. She had no sword, nor a dagger. She was slowly making her way towards them. Without waiting, she got to her feet and ran.

She heard Kureha spouting something of his nobility before she made it far enough.

"Do you know who I am? I will have your head if you do not lower me you swine!" She guessed that the woman had closed the distance and now had apprehended him. She did not worry about that, instead, she kept running.

The ground was hot as she continued on, however it did not matter. Home was only across the next intersection. However, she had noticed something. The clashing of steel and the screaming had all but stopped. She could only hear the burning of wood and the occasional collapse of a roof. Something of this told her that it was a bad idea, to simply run in the opposite direction, however, she knew not of what lay beyond her village.

Talim took an extended route and quickly cut a corner, sadly, she had tripped over something. Falling face first into the dirt, she whined due to the pain and for all but a second, she laid there. Lifting her face from the dirt, the sting within her lip told her that her bottom lip was now bleeding. That and the fact that blood had been present in the nice dirt print her face had left. Wedging her barefoot of what it had been caught under, she froze as she saw just what she had fallen over; or rather, what had made her fall.

"Going somewhere?"

The one before her had been pale in flesh but her eyes were green. Her hair had been black and she wore little armor which resulted in most of her body, save for her breasts and genitalia being visible. She had also been barefoot just like she had been and covered in markings and blood.

Talim stared at the woman before her, but not before looking over to her windmill which was not even twenty feet from her.

"Ah, so that's where…" Lifting her foot from Talim's ankle, the woman walked past her only to grab the Filipina by her hair. "Let's go together shall we?" The child screamed.

Now she had been dragged to her destination. She caught sight of Mia's fruit stall and stopped at the sight of which had been displayed before her. There was a body hanging from one of the posts of that fruit stand. She stared at it even though she did not want to look. Part of the girl's face and hair had been smeared in blood. It was consuming. This girl, May, who had been a close friend of hers since she had been ten, had her limbs severed to follow this, placed upon the post as if it had been a pike.

The post had been darkened by her blood and her intestines hung from her body and coiled the post. A Pool of blood had slowly grown since she hung there. May's mouth had been agape, and her eyes had rolled into the back of her head.

Another body, which she had been dragged over, had nothing left of it but its head; as Talim stared at it, it had been partially eaten! Dark brown hair hung in front of what remained of the flesh while the rest had been muscle and bloody clumps of half eaten flesh which had peeled and curled from the exposure to the intense heat.

Thrashing to break away from this woman grasp, she was not successful in doing anything. She was simply too strong. Struggling as best she could, she stopped after being struck by her captor. The force behind strike sent her into a daze.

She did not even notice that the door to the windmill was pulled away as if it had been made of straw. She saw the long trails of blood that had been spilled, staining the ground and mixing with the soil, giving it the accursed stench and discoloration that a battlefield was composed of. She was unaware that she had been brought to the very same spot that she and Link had been, nor had she been aware that she had been laid on her back. It took no time for this daze to wear off however…

Atop this windmill, Talim pinned to the platform by sheer strength before having a knife driven into her right thigh. She screamed, fully regaining her state of awareness. Struggling to remove the knife, she gasped in shock as she realized that her arms were tied behind her back. In addition to this, the woman had her pinned to the platform with her foot.

The woman extracted the knife and to Talim's agony, the woman licked the blade. After this, she sucked on the blade, making sure to drink down every drop of blood which had been on it.

"I must say child, you taste sweeter than the morsel upon the pike."

"Y—you ate her!?" She now smiled as she dug a finger into the gash. Talim flinched as well as screamed from the pain. The woman pulled a small chunk of bloody flesh from the gash in Talim thigh and popped in her mouth as if it were sweets.

Wincing, Talim watched her chew the piece of meat which was tore from her. The woman moaned in satisfaction whilst swallowing.

"Much, much sweeter than the others…" With knife in hand, Talim stared at the blade as the bloodied woman mounted her. "Trust in me child, if you could taste yourself, you would be in as much rapture as I." She then blinked. From this, she smiled and looked the Filipina in the eye. Slowly, she moved her left hand to Talim bleeding thigh.

"Stop!" Her smile widened as she dug back into the same pit of blood that she had pulled meat from before. The Filipina tensed as she was slowly being harvested.

"Now…" Her captor began. "Try it." Looking at the woman's face, Talim's eyes trekked down to what was in her hand. She physically flinched as she stared at the small chunk of bloody flesh which the woman had offered her.

"N—no!" The woman took hold of Talim jaw and forced her mouth open. The pressure from her grip was nearly enough to shatter her jowl itself.

"There you go…" The bloody flesh was dropped into her mouth and before she could spit it out, the woman covered her mouth. "Eat it!"

Trembling underneath the woman, the Filipina slowly chewed the meat ripped from her own body in horror. Slowly grinding the flesh down with her molars, blood and saliva sloshed fro and to within her mouth. All the while, the woman watched in anticipation. Smiling at her discomfort and even licking her check as she slowly chewed.

"Swallow it." She now ordered. Hesitation bit her as she stared at the woman whom was on top of her. Without a word, she allowed her hand to hover over her bloody thigh, which made the child squirm as well as whine. "Swallow it." She repeated.

Lifting her head, the girl slowly swallowed her own flesh and nearly regurgitated from doing just that.

"Good…was that so difficult?" She had been showing her teeth as she smiled. "I'll show you just how good you taste," She continued. "Only thing," He paused as she pointed at the Filipina. "You'll have to stay awake as we dine."

We? Was she planning to eat her while forcing her to literally eat her own flesh? A thought such as this made her panic. Before that could occur, she was struck once more. Again, she was dazed, however this time; she recalls little of what happened.

She recalls fire and screaming; so, so much screaming. The woman whom had mounted her had fought someone and then they both had fallen off the edge of the platform; leaving her to her lonesome. The sky still in its own way looked just as beautiful as it had when the sun had been setting.

The child had looked from the platform and down to the ground. She saw someone running. A woman had been running but was too slow. She screamed as an axe tore through her, her bones were nothing but bloody stubs that ejected a pleasant streaking blood flow from her ribcage.

Her body had her ribs jutting forth out of her stomach, the blood that once resided within her now poured over the ground.

Now she could hear a baby could be heard crying. This crying had come from the drop that the woman had dropped upon her death. She could see that the same woman, who mounted her, had pounced on this innocent child. There was one who tried to save the child, by they were impaled; as they fell to the ground, the ceased all movement. This left the woman time to enjoy her next victim.

Jerking the four month old baby towards her face, she opened her mouth. Her inhuman fangs pierced the child's neck. Before the Filipina knew it she had passed out in the pool of her own blood listening to the sounds of a child, still crying, as its aggressor tore chunks of flesh outward of his throat.

On the ground, a young man walked through the carnage slowly, watching the glorious sight of death ascending as high as the castle he donned himself stripped. Standing near a burning corpse, the shadow did nothing more than cross his arms and watch as the woman raised her sword above her head.

"No! Please, no!" The man pleaded in a gargled voice. His mouth was spewing blood as a wild Hyena would after it has killed a fawn or some other miscellaneous animal. Without a second thought, she drove the blade into his skull. His arms went limp as did the rest of his body.

"I love it when they beg." He muttered under his breath.

"Likewise…but there has been no sign of either of them here…"

"…Hmph…"

He left her be and checked upon the cannibal. He had an even wider smile upon his face as he watched her chase down the chickens that were running about. The shadow did nothing more than laugh to himself as she occasionally squatted and ate. Some of the blood runny innards of the animals and the rest were of some poor sod that she had caught and killed.

After watching her for a time, he closed the distance as she had attained yet another baby.

"What is it?" She barked at him. With each word, drops of blood had been flung from her mouth.

The hooded warrior did not reply.

She looked at the baby girl and the blood that gushed out of her neck, onto her hand and finally slapping the dirt ground.

"What do you want?" She asked with an agitated look on her face. The hood still covering his head, he slowly shook it as he smiled at the twitching baby in her grasp. "I do not like to eat in front of people!" The warrior did nothing more than shrug his shoulders.

"Think about it…" He began. "The person you are…well…killing, is looking at you while you do it. So you are still in sight of someone who is being killed by you." Without another word, he turned away from her and began to walk away.

She looked down to her beef that was overflowing with a delectable sweet sauce and then back to the warrior, who had turned away from her and that was now heading for a dirt road at the opposite end of the village. His attitude was distorted while his morals were twisted; compelling enough, his mood had been exploited.

He was evil; tainted if you will. Which was more than enough for her to accept him as an ally; also, he was the one who pointed out this place to be the next target of demise. She shook her head clearing it of the thoughts about the young man in black and the mindless carnage, death, screaming and spilling blood around her and looked down for the third time.

The baby had a small amount of life left within her. She could possibly live if her wounds were treated. However, that would not happen. There was only one thing to do when you do not want something with such impudence to live so:

"Without further ado, the fangs of a demon, the life of thou shall be ended and the life of thou shall quench the hunger that so desperately plagues me…" With smugness to her, she smiled.

Caressing the gushing throat of this child and sucking the innards from the same child as a person would a lobster or crab, the woman continued to sate her unending hunger with the life of another yet, unlike first child who suffered, this child merely bled to death while its sauce spilled to the dirt ground splattering and quickly spreading into a pool.

* * *

Notes:

Kare-Kare and Rendang are both dishes of the Philippines.

Lihangin and Lidagat are a god and goddess (wind and water respectively) of the Philippines.


End file.
